One of the most respected and successful figures in the paddock, Alex Wurz, has today announced his retirement from the driving seat. His last race will be the final round of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of Bahrain on Saturday 21 November.
The Toyota Racing driver, 41, is a two time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and, along with a long-standing and highly successful involvement in endurance racing, has an impressive 12-year F1 pedigree which includes teams such as Williams, McLaren and Benetton.
The Monaco-based Austrian was the first driver signed by Toyota in 2011 when its entry into the WEC was confirmed, and he delivered the team its first pole position and victory in Brazil in 2012, in only the team’s third race.
In his four seasons with the 2014 World Champions, Alex has played a crucial role in technical development, as well as contributing to development of the whole team to meet the requirements of endurance racing. Prior to Bahrain, Alex has taken part in 27 WEC races for Toyota, winning five and finishing on the podium a total of 11 times.
Alex Wurz: “I’ve a lot to be grateful for and a lot I’m proud of. My two Le Mans wins will always be the most special and unforgettable, along with the Silverstone podium in my 3rd Formula 1 race.
LMP1 brought some epic battles and crushing retirements. Nothing beats the Le Mans podiums, but the Sebring 12h, Petit Le Mans and securing Toyotas first WEC victory were pretty special too.
“Endurance racing, especially Le Mans, has to be one of the harshest sports. I’ve lead most of the Le Mans 24h races I have raced in but it was our 15 hour lead in last year's race that ended with retirement that had to be the hardest. I’d put so much effort into 2014 and into the race preparation that I found it very difficult to move on after the DNF. In previous years, such a defeat made me come back stronger, ready to launch into the fight again, but not that time. This was the moment I knew that my time at the sharp end was coming to a natural end. The Bahrain 6 hrs will mark this end.”
Toshio Sato, Team President:“Alex has been a fundamental part of our team since the very beginning, in 2011. We have enjoyed some fantastic moments together; I know everyone in the team will remember that first victory in Sao Paulo for a long, long time. I would like to sincerely thank him for his contribution to our WEC project; his technical input, motivation and ability have been invaluable to us. Whilst it is sad to see such a respected and successful driver step away from racing, we wish Alex all the very best for the future.”
Photos: Courtesy of Toyota Racing/James Moy
